Motivational Speaker Visits CCS
Cornerstone students in Grades 6-12 were visited on April 29 by motivational speaker Bobby Petrocelli, who also has a strong and riveting Christian testimony. “Bobby Petrocelli's story is one of personal triumph and hope following a devastating tragedy in his life. One night he went to bed in suburban America, a happy man with a loving wife. But when he woke up dazed in his kitchen, his wife was dead and his life forever changed. The pickup truck that crashed through his bedroom wall was driven by a man who was more than twice legally drunk” (https://www.10seconds.org/).
Bobby reminded CCS students that life is precious and each person matters because God loves us! He encouraged listeners to embrace the magnitude of God’s love for us and others. His message emphasized how quickly life’s circumstances can change, but God’s love never changes. He shared how essential it is to extend forgiveness to those who hurt us, even when the hurt is as deep as it gets.
Bobby also explained that he has had over 5,000 speaking engagements over the past 15 years; he has spoken to NFL teams, public high school students, individual athletes, groups of athletes, etc. However, he reflected on a particular time when he spoke at a public high school and informed the students at the end of his presentation, as is his custom, that he would also be speaking that evening about his story in the context of his faith at a local church. One student, in particular, chose to also attend the evening gathering, and he told Bobby afterwards how his first message to the students was missing the “how” to a message he
desperately needed to hear. When this student heard the rest of his story in the context of God’s greatness, he felt he was given the essential piece that had been missing in the first message.
How awesome it is that we are able to invite speakers who can present the full message of God’s grace! We have the incredible privilege of learning and teaching within a biblical worldview that doesn’t have to somehow try to separate God from the learning process!
CCS student, Mitchell (Grade 8), shared that he has heard many messages like Bobby’s over the years, but Bobby was “the most impactful speaker” he had ever heard. Mitchell was also certain that his public speaking teacher, Mr. Sullivan, would be including a class discussion the following day on Bobby’s outstanding way of capturing the crowd’s attention and keeping the audience members “on their toes” throughout the hour-long assembly. God used Bobby Petrocelli to challenge our middle and high school students and faculty, and we are grateful for his relatable ability to point to God’s amazing faithfulness!
Occasionally teachers send students to my office for a “pep talk." One day, after a slightly escalated incident had occurred outside during recess, the on-duty teacher felt that a particular student needed to cool down and speak with me. Because of the Young Peacemakers program that we have been using with students in Grades 3-5 this school year, I was able to help this student quickly identify what had gone wrong and to remedy the situation.
Just the day before, I had taught a lesson about the “5 A’s for Resolving Conflict." During the message, the students learned that in order to resolve a conflict, they must:
1) ADMIT their mistake,
2) APOLOGIZE for the wrong they have done,
3) ACCEPT the consequences for their actions,
4) ASK for forgiveness, and
5) ALTER their behavior.
Using this method, I was quickly able to review the incident with the student using
these five steps and allow the student to take
responsibility for his/her actions. The student then was able to go to the appropriate people, admit his/her wrongdoing and ask forgiveness for his/her actions. The situation was handled in a God-honoring way, and the student was able to return to class with a clear conscience.
3
THE LION'S ROAR
MAY 2019
Young Peacemakers
by Dawn Snellenberger